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NDDC: N70bn Required to Complete East-west Road

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  • NDDC: N70bn Required to Complete East-west Road

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has disclosed that the Commission and its supervising Ministry, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, need over N70 billion to complete the East-west Road which straddles the six South-South States.

Speaking while receiving the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Uguru Usani Uguru, Ekere said: “The NDDC will partner with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and private sector investors on the construction of the East-West road. Over N70 billion is needed to complete the road. So, the strategy will be to harness private sector collaboration to complete the road. The portions that have totally collapsed will be addressed immediately.”

He lamented that the Eleme-Refinery junction section was in a very terrible state. “It is so bad that a 10-minute journey on that axis now takes three hours. That section of the road has failed and we will get contractors to the site immediately,” he said.

The NDDC Chief Executive Officer further stated that the construction of the remaining sections of the East-West Road would be handled by many contractors.

“Our strategy involves multiple contractors. The road, which is a strategic link to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, connects Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.”

According to Ekere, the Commission is embarking on a centralized e-project management scheme which would reduce waste and costs on project management. He added: “We are determined to improve on our project management capabilities. NDDC projects all over the Niger Delta will be managed from a central project management platform such that I can sit in my office at the headquarters and monitor projects all over the region. The essence of this is to ensure a robust project management portfolio and reduce waste and costs.

“We are determined to do things differently. We are determined to leave behind a new and improved NDDC. We are determined to reform our systems to help us reduce the incidents of abandoned projects,” Ekere said.

The minister, during the visit, ordered an investigation into the educational qualification of staff of the NDDC with the aim of exposing ghost workers and those working in the commission with forged certificates.

Uguru directed departmental heads in the commission to submit their nominal rolls to the Managing Director within one week.

Uguru said: “Directors of various departments in this Commission should submit the nominal roll of their respective departments to the Managing Director within one week. I don’t want to hear that we are on it because, I will ask for it immediately it is one week. If you are a departmental head and signs for a ghost worker, you will face it.

“We have observed that there are several people with forged certificates working in NDDC. Please, let us shun all the things that will give a bad image to the NDDC.”

While assuring the board and management of the NDDC that there won’t be political interference in the running of the commission, the Minister stated that the Buhari administration would carry out governance without partisanship.

He promised to stamp out any form of political interference in the running of the interventionist agency.

“We will stop political interference in the NDDC. Any political interference in the commission will be resisted. I assure you, political interference will no longer be an obstacle for the NDDC,” Usani said.

He commended the NDDC board and management for their efforts towards reforming the commission’s processes, and called on the staff to cooperate with the management during its audit exercise.

The minister said: “We must from this day, hasten our processes within the commission. There is no more room for partisanship.”

Usani noted that the audit that would be carried out in the NDDC was a presidential directive which must be complied with as soon as possible, warning that anyone who constituted an obstacle in the audit process would be shown the way out

“The ministry was buffeted with obstacles when it conducted its own audit. The staff of the Ministry tried to frustrate the process,” the minister said.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi for 3 Months Over Budget Padding Allegations

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Abdul-Ahmed-Ningi

The Senate has announced the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi for three months following his allegations of budget padding to the tune of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central and chairs the Senate Committee on Population, had made the claims in a recent interview with the Hausa service of the BBC.

During a plenary session, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, raised a motion to address Ningi’s allegations, citing the urgent need to address what he termed as “false allegations.”

The transcript of Ningi’s interview was read on the Senate floor, prompting deliberation on the appropriate action to take.

Initially, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim proposed a 12-month suspension for Ningi, but Senator Chris Ekpeyong moved to reduce it to six months.

Eventually, Senator Garba Maidoki amended the motion further, suggesting a three-month suspension.

The amended motion was put to a voice vote, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision to suspend Ningi for three months.

Following the ruling, Ningi was escorted out of the Senate chamber by the Sergeants-at-arms.

The suspension comes amidst division within the Senate over Ningi’s claims, with some senators disowning his allegations and calling for a thorough investigation.

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Ekiti Governor Unveils Multi-Billion Naira Relief Programmes Amid Economic Crisis

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Biodun Oyebanji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has announced a comprehensive relief package aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the people of the state.

The relief programs encompass various sectors to cushion the impact of the economic downturn.

One of the key initiatives entails clearing salary arrears amounting to over N2.7 billion owed to both State and Local Government workers.

This move signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the financial burdens faced by its workforce.

Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji has approved a substantial increase of N600 million per month in the subvention of autonomous institutions, including the Judiciary and tertiary institutions.

This augmentation is intended to enable these institutions to implement wage awards in alignment with State and Local Government workers’ salaries.

In addition to addressing salary arrears, the relief programs extend to pensioners, with the approval of payments totaling N1.5 billion for two months’ pension arrears.

Moreover, an increase in the monthly gratuity payment to state pensioners and local government pensioners will provide additional financial support, totaling N200 million monthly.

The relief initiatives also encompass agricultural and small-scale business sectors.

The allocation of funds for food production and livestock transformation projects underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and economic sustainability at the grassroots level.

Governor Oyebanji emphasized that these relief programs are part of the state’s concerted efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic downturn and foster shared prosperity.

The comprehensive nature of the initiatives reflects a proactive approach towards addressing the challenges faced by Ekiti State residents.

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President Tinubu Orders Immediate Settlement of N342m Electricity Bill for Presidential Villa

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President Bola Tinubu has directed the prompt settlement of a N342 million outstanding electricity bill owed by the Presidential Villa to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

This move comes in response to the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and the AEDC.

The AEDC had earlier threatened to disconnect electricity services to the Presidential Villa and 86 Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over a total outstanding debt of N47.20 billion as of December 2023.

Contrary to the initial claim by the AEDC that the State House owed N923 million in electricity bills, the Presidency clarified that the actual outstanding amount is N342.35 million.

This discrepancy underscores the importance of accurate accounting and reconciliation between entities.

In a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency affirmed the commitment to settle the debt promptly.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila assured that the debt would be paid to the AEDC before the end of the week.

The directive from the Presidency extends beyond the State House, as Gbajabiamila urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with the AEDC and settle their outstanding electricity bills.

The AEDC, on its part, issued a 10-day notice to the affected government agencies to settle their debts or face disconnection.

This development highlights the importance of financial accountability and responsible management of public utilities.

It also underscores the necessity for government entities to fulfill their financial obligations to service providers promptly, ensuring uninterrupted services and avoiding potential disruptions.

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